TulsiPeople.com – An Organic India blog about organic farming, Tulsi (Holy Basil) and sustainability

Today, all green grocery automatically goes into basins of water. That half-hour wait is a matter of routine. We know when we pay for fresh food, we get unsolicited freebies – could be pesticides, harmful bacteria and/or mould. Scrubbing our hands is no guard against many germs. No, we are not in danger of imminent collapse. But those inconvenient bellyaches, bouts of diarrhoea, even breathing problems are from crawlies we hadn’t thought existed. Read more..(from thehindu.com)

ORGANIC milk sales have risen by more than a fifth in the past year, according to figures.
Organic cheese is also proving popular with sales also up by almost 20%, according to retail analysts TNS.
Health-conscious consumers are willing to pay around a third more for organic milk than the standard variety. At Tesco, a four-pint bottle of organic milk costs £1.46, compared with £1.11 for a standard four-pint bottle. Read more (from theherald.co.uk)…

It’s an organic world out there. After eating a meal of organic fruits, organic vegetables and organic pasta, you can wear organic jeans and roll around on organic carpet. With organic perfume, furniture and even pizza and beer, you might think there would be no surprises left for an entrepreneur hoping to make a statement in the organics industry. But you’d be wrong.
Read more..(from entrepreneur.com)

Organic farming was practiced in India since thousands of years. The great Indian civilization thrived on organic farming and was one of the most prosperous countries in the world, till the British ruled it. Read more..(from organicfacts.net)

Here is a ‘Must Read’ article about the copyrighting of ancient wisdoms.
A Big Stretch By SUKETU MEHTA

Ashwagandha is regarded as a wonder shrub of India and is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine and health tonics that claim its variety of health-promoting effects. Surprisingly, these claims are not well supported by adequate studies, and the molecular mechanisms of its action remain largely unexplored to date.

A number of Japanese scientists  undertook a study to identify and characterize the antitumor activity of the leaf extract of ashwagandha. The study provides the first molecular evidence that the leaf extract of ashwagandha selectively kills tumor cells and, thus, is a natural source for safe anticancer medicine. Read More

There’s no doubt about it-with consumers spending in excess of $25 billion on natural and organic food alone, the natural products industry is rapidly maturing. Once the mainstay of purists, hippies and back-to-nature people, educated consumers in multiple demographic groups now understand the health and lifestyle benefits that can be reaped by pursuing a diet of whole and organic foods, and they have increasingly demonstrated a desire to consume them. Read more…

As a practitioner and herbalist I am often asked whether it is best to take herbs as part of your meal or as a capsule. I am definitely in favor of using herbs and spices in food, for instance I seldom make anything without at least a little bit of Turmeric, but I also know that heating can destroy a lot of the constituents of herbs, especially the volatile essential oils.
As cited below, a study recently came out that actually tested this and found that just 10 minutes in a pressure cooker will remove about half the Curcumin out of Turmeric, 40% of the Capsaicin out of Red Pepper, and 30% of the Piperine out of Black Pepper; Curcumin, Capsaicin and Piperine being proved the main constituents that are responsible for a significant amount of the healing activity of the respective whole spice. And the loss was not significantly different whether or not there was other food in the pressure cooker.

This just confirms the need, given the choice for most herbs, to take them as whole, fresh and as raw as possible, and this will mean capsules for most people. Is it good to cook with Turmeric and other herbs and spices?
Absolutely. Is it good to also take whole Turmeric root in capsules on a daily basis? Absolutely, you want the Curcuminoids in your Turmeric. Just make sure your herbs are very potent and pure and are grown and processed in a responsible and fully sustainable context.

Prashanti

After studying Vedic Sciences in India for most of the 90’s, Prashanti is now on staff at the Rishikesh College of Ayurveda, ayurishi.com, the Ganesha Foundation in Petaluma, ganeshafoundation.org, and has been helping to direct a large ayurvedic organic herb project in India and the U.S. since 1993.

references: Suresh, et al., Effect of Heat Processing of Spices on the Concentrations of their Bioactive Principles. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 346-351.

U.S. farmers are having a hard time keeping up with Americans’ voracious appetite for organic foods, say industry leaders, who want federal officials to boost spending on crop research and market development.
Organic food sales grow by as much as 20 percent a year and were forecast for $16 billion during 2006, or nearly 3 percent of all U.S. food spending, the Organic Trade Association said at a pair of congressional hearings.
Read more…(from CSRwire.com)

The time is ripe for planting: Here’s a roundup of tips for planning and preparing a bountiful organic garden.
You’ve perused catalogues full of luscious descriptions of plants throughout the winter, the farmer’s market is brimming with blooms, and now that spring is here, it’s time to plan and prepare your garden. Once soil temperatures warm up to between 65 and 70 degrees F or higher and the threat of frost has past, you’re set to transplant seedlings or sow seed directly in the garden. Read more…(from thegreenguide.com)

Further evidence in support of the health benefits of organic fruit and vegetables has been published by an international team of researchers.
They found that organic carrots, apples and peaches contained higher levels of vitamin C and flavonoids, compounds with antioxidant properties said by some scientists to protect against heart attacks and cancer. Read More…

The health benefits of ginger root oil can be attributed to its digestive, carminative, expectorant, antiseptic, analgesic, anti inflammatory, stimulating and aphrodisiac properties. These benefits of ginger oil include its ability to treat stomach problems, nausea, heart strokes, indigestion, inflammations, respiratory problems, menstrual disorders, etc. Read More (from organicfacts.net)..

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, heart diseases, cholesterol levels, weight loss, kidney problems, digestion, metabolism, high blood pressure, immunity, dental care, diabetes, bone strength, HIV and cancer. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc. Read more (from organicfacts.net)…

A new test could help identify fraudulently labelled organic food, say UK scientists.
It’s based on testing the food for signs of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, which are banned in organic farming methods.
Dr Alison Bateman of the University of East Anglia in Norwich and colleagues report their findings in a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
There are a number of food tests designed to pick up residues of synthetic pesticides and herbicides that are not permitted in organic farming. Read more (from ABC Science Online)…

The health-conscious customers at the store in the trendy South End neighborhood want wholesome food: vegetable and fruit chews; high-protein, low-carb nuggets; and organic meals containing cottage cheese.
The nutritious fare, however, is not for them; it is for their dogs and cats.
The store, Pet Shop Girls, specializes in organic, holistic and raw pet food, and its sales have gone up sharply since a major recall of pet food was announced March 16. Read more (From the NYtimes)…